by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many Lafayette first-year students return for their second year? How many graduate and how long does it take them? On this page we'll explore Lafayette retention rates, graduation rates, drop out rates and more.
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 87% students making it past their freshmen year, Lafayette has freshmen retention rates above the national average.
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in Pennsylvania, the average is 73.24%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Lafayette | 87% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Pennsylvania | 73.24% |
How many of the estimated 584 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?
86% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 89% in six years, and 90% in eight years.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, a student is considered to have graduated on time if they complete their degree within six years, making the official Lafayette graduation rate 89%.
How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at Lafayette? The standard length of time for most students is 4.05 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 558 | 85% |
| Six Years | 584 | 89% |
| Eight Years | 4 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 65 | 10% |
Approximately 65 students or 10% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 65 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
33 transferred to another institution.
Lafayette lost contact with the remaining 32 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 33 | 50.8% |
| Dropped Out | 32 | 49.2% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 64% |
| Black / African-American | 96% |
| Hawaiian | 100% |
| Hispanic | 84% |
| International | 96% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 100% |
| Unknown | 93% |
| White | 90% |
Some schools have mainly first-time, full-time students, while others cater to part-time students, transfer students, or adult learners. For a variety of reasons first-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are usually more likely to graduate in four years.
Traditional Students:
First-time, full-time students under the age of 25.
Non-Traditional Students:
Any student that is not first-time, full-time, and under the age of 25.
The majority of students at Lafayette are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.
Comparing the graduation rates of specific cohorts shown below will be more revealing than the overall statistics shared above.
First-time / full-time students at Lafayette College represent 98% of the students in the class of 2015, and 98.46% of Lafayette bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 86%, first-time students in the Lafayette class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the Lafayette graduation rate was 90%, and by the eight year mark, 91% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.
| First-Time / Full-Time Completions | Lafayette | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 86% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 90% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 91% | 47.82% |
60 first-time / full-time students or 9% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
33 transferred to another institution.
Lafayette lost contact with the remaining 27 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 33 | 55.00% |
| Dropped Out | 27 | 45.00% |
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on Lafayette first-time, part-time students.
14 Lafayette students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 2.14% of the students in the class of 2015.
Non first-time students could include transfer students or adults who have returned to school after an absense.
With a six year graduation rate of 64%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average for students in this category.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 64%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 49.57% after four years, 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.
| Returning / Full-Time Completions | Lafayette | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 64% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 64% | 55.07% |
5 non first-time / part-time students or 36% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
0 transferred to another institution.
Lafayette lost contact with the remaining 5 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 0 | 0.00% |
| Dropped Out | 5 | 100.00% |
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on Lafayette returning, part-time students.
